Mariner of the Seas Feb 22 2009 from LA

[pscruzinboyz]

Hey guys, nice to see you back on. Sounds like life is going good. Bill and I are just completing our outdoor Kitchen, a little over 3 months to build, stone and tile, We are over it. I want to be like you guys where we come out to the desert and play. We are going to do the 50 mile bike ride on the Tour of Palm Springs on Saturday Feb 14th. Should be fun. Other then that, counting down the days. We are going to do some of the stuff with the M+M people on the first day, should be fun. I would guess the first day out will still be a little cool, gotta love the Solarium Pool. We have done all of the pre boarding stuff, we are doing Chops on the last night, I highly recommend doing one of the specialty restaurants if you get a chance. We are in a slot pull with somewhere around 40 people so the $800.00 might bring us some big bucks. I think it is worth the $20.00 per person.

Keep the blog going to keep us on the front page, hopefully, more people will find us. Have a Great weekend! :)

 

Mike and Bill

[Rusty311]

Mike & Bill - I think the cabin crawl will be fun. Like you did - I like to see the different cabins on the frist or last day of the cruise. I have an E2 on 8 - so will not open it for the crawl. My Vision Cruise - November 2007 - they upgraded me on the first night from JS to OS. If I get upgraded to an interesting suite - I will open it for the tour. If your cabin is open - do you get to see the other cabins?

 

PV - The hotel I went to for the afternoon party was the Hotel Cora - just for men. The party starts at 3 - there is a cover charge to get in - and they have lockers to rent for clothes - if you want. It is close to Blue Chairs Beach. Seemed the party did not start until dusk - and it is about 30 minutes from the ship.

 

February 24th is Fat Tuesday. I understand there is always a Mardi Grax type parade on this class ship. Is it presented twice - like the shows? I wan tto see the ice show - can we get tickets in the C Lounge? It would be nice to see the show and eat at optional dining on the same night. I don't want to miss any o the production shows, and formal night should be in main dining room, so the seven day cruise is filling up. Don't want to forget schedule time for being spontaneous.

 

Larry

[pscruzinboyz]

Mike & Bill - I think the cabin crawl will be fun. Like you did - I like to see the different cabins on the frist or last day of the cruise. I have an E2 on 8 - so will not open it for the crawl. My Vision Cruise - November 2007 - they upgraded me on the first night from JS to OS. If I get upgraded to an interesting suite - I will open it for the tour. If your cabin is open - do you get to see the other cabins?

 

PV - The hotel I went to for the afternoon party was the Hotel Cora - just for men. The party starts at 3 - there is a cover charge to get in - and they have lockers to rent for clothes - if you want. It is close to Blue Chairs Beach. Seemed the party did not start until dusk - and it is about 30 minutes from the ship.

 

February 24th is Fat Tuesday. I understand there is always a Mardi Grax type parade on this class ship. Is it presented twice - like the shows? I wan tto see the ice show - can we get tickets in the C Lounge? It would be nice to see the show and eat at optional dining on the same night. I don't want to miss any o the production shows, and formal night should be in main dining room, so the seven day cruise is filling up. Don't want to forget schedule time for being spontaneous.

 

Larry

 

 

Hey Larry,

 

Hope your weekend was good. Back in the OC tonight. As for your ?'s......

 

The crawl should work like a Progressive Dinner party. The presenter will be on the crawl, and when it is time for your cabin, I would think you become the leader and bring the group to your cabin. I would guess that each cabin takes about 5 minutes. People come in, say the oooohs and aaaahs and continue to the next cabin. I think, Good ? though, I guess I will ask on the other side.

 

Looks like going to the hotel will not fit our schedule. Since we leave at 7 and not 10 like the Vision, we will do more touristy things, will probably include some type of Alcohol, I'm sure.

 

On the ice show..................A MUST SEE! This is also for you Chris and Phillip. We saw last April on the Voyager and was will worth what they can do on a Ship. Larry, Yes, the first day when we are in the C Lounge, what ever you want to do, Let the Concierge know and he will do everything for us. The Perks of being Diamond/+.

 

Yes I know about Fat Tuesday, Usually the Parades start late, 10:30 or so, probably because of the late dinner crowd. I am going to decorate the cabin to reflect Mardi Gras.

 

Have a great week and keep the thread going! :)

 

Mike and Bill

[CruiseBoy69]

Hey AZ guys and David, BTW, which Cabins are you in. We are on Deck 8 and we will have 8664. Also, have you checked prices lately. We started at $1150.00 early this year and finnally paid about $750.00 pp and traded up to a better Balcony room in the process.

 

Hi there! My SO & I will be on the 11/29/09 sailing (my 40th b-day!)....how did you get such a great deal and upgrade? I'll be reading all your postings so that I can be prepared for our cruise. I'm paying my deposit tomorrow. This will be our 1st cruise also. Have you ever stayed in any of the cabins that are mid-ship and jet out more than the other cabins(#7312..7326, #7612..7626 on the Mariner for example)? Do these rooms provide better views on sailing days??? I know so many questions, so little time!!!

[pscruzinboyz]

Hi there! My SO & I will be on the 11/29/09 sailing (my 40th b-day!)....how did you get such a great deal and upgrade? I'll be reading all your postings so that I can be prepared for our cruise. I'm paying my deposit tomorrow. This will be our 1st cruise also. Have you ever stayed in any of the cabins that are mid-ship and jet out more than the other cabins(#7312..7326, #7612..7626 on the Mariner for example)? Do these rooms provide better views on sailing days??? I know so many questions, so little time!!!

 

 

Hey CruiseBoy, great name, Do you have a name?

I'll try to answer your ? about the " HUMP ". First off, Did you make your deposit today. It should be around $250.00 per person with the final payment 70 days before the cruise. Second, I am jealous that you will be going in November. We started Cruising back in 2004 and have been hooked ever since. If I could get the time off of work I would do this cruise every other month since we live so close to the port. You guys will have a blast, especially being your "Virgin Cruise". This ship is going to be Amazing. A couple of years back we took the Vision down on the same itenirary the first week of November and the weather is wonderful that time of year. Have a Terrific Cruise.

Back to the cabin ? We had a " Hump " cabin last April , 6318 on the Voyager. These room are a bit smaller then all of the other cabins with Balcony's. If it was me, I would get a Balcony room for Sure, especially being your first Cruise. Get a cabin that will fit the budget. If it is a Hump cabin, you want one of the two cabins that are right in the middle of the Hump. If you go left or right, then you loose the sightline of the ship, Front or back.

The reason we got a great deal is that they gave us $50.00 off for being CA residents and the biggest perk was because we are diamond members, 10 plus cruises, so it does pay to stick with a certain line. As Chris and Phillip have said, they been on 1 or 2 other lines but this time they thought RCCL offered more activities to suit thier lifestyle. I know you have many months to wait but keep checking the log, put one in for your cruise and see if there are any takers. I know there are only 8-10 of us on this blog but there will be many more " Family Members " on board. I will keep going on the thread until we leave and then after the cruise I will try to post some pictures.

 

Have fun and chime in with more ?'s anytime. :)

 

Mike and Bill

[CruiseBoy69]

Hey CruiseBoy, great name, Do you have a name?

I'll try to answer your ? about the " HUMP ". First off, Did you make your deposit today. It should be around $250.00 per person with the final payment 70 days before the cruise. Have fun and chime in with more ?'s anytime. :)

Mike and Bill

 

We are making the deposit today at 10am (our TA was having a crazy day yesterday, so my SO will be making the arrangements today when our TA calls back). Are you sure its $250 per person & not per 'package'? I thought that's what our TA had told us last week when we were getting details. No matter either way. I'm Jon, a soon-to-be 40yo Disney fan (my You Tube page is Disney69 and my Zune profile is DisneyDork69). My SO is Joey who is in he's 'later' 40's (I'll let him reveal those statistics). I think we're gonna stay clear of the 'hump' cabins and go with what we have on hold (E2 #7284). Its close enough to the front and away enough from the stairs & elevators. Right now I am on the regular 11/29/09 thread for our cruise, but I'm sure I will probably begin the post for the 'FOD' thread soon. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about the ship/cruise!! Please take lots of pics and do write up a post-cruise blog. Oh I'm sure I'll have many more questions between now and 11/29. I think I'm gonna follow all the threads for the Mariner. Thanks for your input and suggestions. Chat with you soon Mike & Bill!!

 

Jon & Joey

[NoNoSco]

Mike & Bill -

 

I forgot to mention, yes, we are booked at Chops for Friday night, 7pm (I believe you are booked there for Saturday night). The specialty dining option is key for us - the one thing NCL does right (some say NCL has gone overboard - no pun intended) is to offer numerous specialty dining venues on their ships. On Star last year, we dined at various Italian, French and Japanese venues and also enjoyed NCL's version of 'Chops' (the name escapes me at present). Needless to say, our total bill at disembarkation was a doozy! But thanks for the heads-up/reminder here; as RCCL is new to us, we are looking for any and all tips :)

 

And along with you, we have NO DOUBT there will be MANY other gay men on Mariner. On Star (also out of LA) we met quite a few gay men, none of whom we knew in advance. Likewise, on Pride of Hawaii (2007) there were many gay men/women aboard ship. Too few people (specifically, gays that I know who cruise) ever heard of Cruise Critic - let alone find their way to the subpages here under "Cruise Styles, Gay and Lesbian." It does take some effort to find this forum, let alone a gay roll call for a specific ship. Heck, I didnt know about these forums myself until very, very recently.

 

Maybe Manhunt should operate this subforum; our Mariner thread would be 10,000 pages and climbing :D

 

Take care guys, see you soon!

 

Chris & Philip

Scottsdale, Arizona

[CruiseBoy69]

...on the 11/29/09 sailing of the Mariner out of LA!!! We will be in cabin 7284. We only had to pay a $250 deposit for the whole package. Now I just gotta pay the balance of the cruise and wait 10 months and 2 days for our cruise!!! LOL!! Its gonna be a very long year.....

 

Jon

[pscruzinboyz]

...on the 11/29/09 sailing of the Mariner out of LA!!! We will be in cabin 7284. We only had to pay a $250 deposit for the whole package. Now I just gotta pay the balance of the cruise and wait 10 months and 2 days for our cruise!!! LOL!! Its gonna be a very long year.....

 

Jon

 

Hey Jon,

 

That's the ticket. Bill was telling me that RCCL is reducing the Deposit right now, I'm sure because bookings are down, but good for you guys anyway. Always check or have your TA check all of the time because as the time gets closer and they still have cabins available, that's when they will start to discount. That's what we did and how we saved so much. :)

Don't worry about the time, it will go fast and when you can talk cruising with this site it just keeps you interested. Hope you are staying warm, all of us down here in the Southwest are spoiled. 80 degrees again by Thursday. Have a great week and chime in when ever.

 

Mike and Bill

[pscruzinboyz]

Mike & Bill -

 

I forgot to mention, yes, we are booked at Chops for Friday night, 7pm (I believe you are booked there for Saturday night). The specialty dining option is key for us - the one thing NCL does right (some say NCL has gone overboard - no pun intended) is to offer numerous specialty dining venues on their ships. On Star last year, we dined at various Italian, French and Japanese venues and also enjoyed NCL's version of 'Chops' (the name escapes me at present). Needless to say, our total bill at disembarkation was a doozy! But thanks for the heads-up/reminder here; as RCCL is new to us, we are looking for any and all tips :)

 

And along with you, we have NO DOUBT there will be MANY other gay men on Mariner. On Star (also out of LA) we met quite a few gay men, none of whom we knew in advance. Likewise, on Pride of Hawaii (2007) there were many gay men/women aboard ship. Too few people (specifically, gays that I know who cruise) ever heard of Cruise Critic - let alone find their way to the subpages here under "Cruise Styles, Gay and Lesbian." It does take some effort to find this forum, let alone a gay roll call for a specific ship. Heck, I didnt know about these forums myself until very, very recently.

 

Maybe Manhunt should operate this subforum; our Mariner thread would be 10,000 pages and climbing :D

 

Take care guys, see you soon!

 

Chris & Philip

Scottsdale, Arizona

 

Hey Guys,

 

I am getting excited, my clock is just about to click to 24 days, as Chris would say " Whoo Hooo ". Hope all is well, I am getting on the site everyday now since we are getting closer and just blogging get me excited. Are you guys Football fans and are you doing anything for SuperBowl? Not sure if we are since it will be your Cardinals and not the SD Chargers. Oh well...........Check in often, Feb is here Sunday!

[pscruzinboyz]

23 days, YIPP YEEEEEEEEEE:)

[bs83703]

Who all is going to be on Main or Late dinner? We are scheduled on Main right now.

As it looks, I will be flying into LAX Thursday night (Feb 19) driving to Palm Springs and back to LA on Sunday morning.

[Rusty311]

I took the cruise brochure with me on my first cruise because I thought the ship could not really be as nice as the pictures - it was better. You can not believe what they put on ships (and they still float!) I have crused several lines and never had a bad cruise. Cruise Lines will have a class and style unique to each - but they are all good. Marnier will be a good level of service and I really like RCL food. In adition to the dining room - room service is always free (just tip the server) - buffets have great selections and are serving most of the day. There are omlet and waffle stations at breakfast / Italian stations for lunch and dinner - and desert selections to dream about.

I like the shows. Small theaters (1,000 - 1,500 people) so all seats are good. Professional singers and dancers. Mariner has an Ice Rink and show that I am looking forward to - I have not been on this class ship before.

Cabins with balconies have great ocean views, and you can sit there having a roon service breakfast until you are ready to get ready and leave the cabin.

I spend every vacation day on a ship somewhere. There is a Friends of Dorthy or GBLT meeting posted in the daily calendar or on Royal Caribbean sometimes it is in the library on the meeting board. Show up and meet other gays on the cruise.

For this cruise - I am taking my mother. We are on first seating. There will be two groups on the ship - first and second seating. Thy will go the to shows presented for their seating - and end up running on the same time cycle. The late seating is more of the late night party group. I usually do late.

You will have a great time

Larry

[pscruzinboyz]

Hey Bob and Larry, nice to see both of you posting. I am on every night now until we cruise.

We are doing the second seating, Funny, We have NEVER done Main seating. We enjoy relaxing early evening, eating and on some nights retiring to the room after dinner. Since we now have the BIG ship in LA, You will find us in the Concierge lounge every night :):):):)

 

Bob, we will be out here on Friday Night and heading back to HB on Saturday night. Maybe we can meet for a drink on Friday.

 

Larry, I received my T-shirt today. I like it. Did you get yours?

 

Were back here in the desert, I took a vacation day and Bill is working from home tomorrow. Hope all is well and will talk to you later.

 

22 days to go! :)

 

Mike

[Ahhh]

Dan and I are scheduled for 2nd seating but may not go to the dining room at all, as we prefer to play it by ear, according to how we feel at the time. Although this class of ship does not have an indoor solarium pool, it does have a nice big indoor jacuzzi type pool by the gym. It's great for getting warm and relaxing! This will be Dan's first cruise and he is very excited. We are flying down the morning of departure and taking the shuttle to to port. Looking forward to meeting you all and having a great week on the ship. David

[pscruzinboyz]

Hey David, wecome back to CC and welcome back to Land. Looking at your history, looks like you are on a ship more then at Home. :p I am Jealous that you are doing B/B cruises. Bill and I are striving to be like you. We thought we would retire about at age 55 but with this economy who knows now. I have tried to estimate if it might be cheaper to cruise for retirement then try to maintain a house or two and all that goes with it. I know it would not be a lifetime thing to do but we are looking at posibility of a couple of years, who knows!

Looking forward to meeting you and Dan, We are doing some stuff with all of the CC bloggers, should be fun. Are you doing the Meet and Greet? Looks like Bill and I are as well as Larry and his Mom and Bob and his friend. Hope you have a great weekend, keep posting, I am trying my darndest to keep our Thread on the front page.

 

My clock says 21 days but I actually think it is 22

 

Mike

[Rusty311]

T shirts arrived this week. I did not mention on the main line as I was in the last group to order and thin she sent mine out early. Some are still waiting. They are cute. I will wear it Monday for the Meet & Greet and cabin crawl.

David - welcome back. You have already cruised more this year than most will do all year - and have more sea days coming. I was surprised to hear the Mariner does not have the indoor pool. My favoite ship pool is Celebrity M class thasotherapie (spelling?). Even Solstice did not have that.

Mike and Jim - I will be in PS February 14th for the Modernism show. My loft is mid century furniture - will just be looking, not shopping - and then to CC for a BBQ. Would be nice to meet for a drink - if it works.

I bought two tickets on the whale tour set up by Dot on the CC line. Boat only holds twelve people and now my mother is having second thoughts. She is 84 and it is up to her - it will not be fun if she is scared, so I might have a free ticket for the tour - about 9 am to 2 pm with an oceanogopher guide and lunch included. The boat is small.

Safety - Mexico is changing, but you always have to be street wise when touring. Advice on only carrying a copy of your pass port is good - and I don't even cary a credit card unless I have planned on buying something significent. I do travel with a lot of $1s and $5s. If they are torn, they will not be accepted in Mexico, and they are always useful for tipping for room service.

Casino Cash - I used to pull cash advances from the casino - get the miles on my credit card - but Solstice was charging a 3% service charge - not worth it. I like tipping in cash on the last night.

CL - Does anyone know the hours of the Lounge? If we are on first seating, will it be serving before dinner? Breakfast coffee and buffet is presented every day in the lounge? I like the lounge on Radiance. Interesting people. And I will ask for assistance in booking the ice show and teaming with an optional dining reservation - not on formal nights. Production shows are formal nights - right?

Enough for now - will go to the other line.

Have fun!

Larry

[Ahhh]

Hi Guys

 

I need to sign up for the Meet & Mingle. I always look forward to going. I am not retired but make the time to cruise whenever I can. I just love being on ships (on the ocean).

 

Larry, I am looking forward to meeting your Mom. The Celebrity Thalosotherapy pools are a nice treat, on both the M class and the Mercury.

 

The CL is usually open from 5:00 - 8:30 every evening for cocktails and is really never closed for other beverages. I have a feeling there will be an overflow lounge as this sailing should attract many seasoned RCI guests. On the current sailing they are using the Lotus Lounge since so many of the passengers complained about the Dragon's Lair being too dark and smelling of smoke. It really is a nice space but I remember it smelling like a taxi cab myself - too bad, I like it's dungeon atmosphere. Morning coffee, pastries and fruit is a nice feature of the lounge, and the Concierge is always very helpful with reservations.

 

I am afraid Dan is going to be spoiled with the Mariner being his first ship (and having access to the CL :eek:). It's a tough act to follow! David

[Ahhh]

I just realized that our sailaway is on Oscar night :eek:! I hope the Mariner telecasts it in one of their lounges :), or better yet, the main theater :D!

[Rusty311]

Hello

 

I just got caught up on all the pages on the other thread - and there wasn't much to learn.

 

I did realize it was Academy Award day when I ordered a car to take us to the pier - because it's early, we were able to get one. I have been on cruises twice before on award night - and they have not had it available on the ship - one was an RSVP cruise. I will record, but it just isn't the same.

 

We will be on the ship on Fat Tuesday. It will be quite a week - and the first time they try their seven day schedule.

 

David - I believe you were at Stone Island just last week - was it dirty and the horses underfed? A very nasty posting from on the other line from a person feeling ignored - the fights start and we aren't even on board. I liked the reference to fake tits...

 

I'm not sure if I can keep up with all the posting on the other line - if anyone sees something important - please post on this line.

 

Current schedule - 11 AM Meet & Greet - deck 14

Looking for times for cabin crawl and slot pull

Will make reservations for dinner and ice show at CL as soon as on board

 

We are on main dnner seating - large table - currently in cabin 8232 (hoping for upgrade fairy) The ship might be sold out.

 

Have fun

 

Larry

[Ahhh]

I just got caught up on all the pages on the other thread - and there wasn't much to learn. David - I believe you were at Stone Island just last week - was it dirty and the horses underfed? A very nasty posting from on the other line from a person feeling ignored - the fights start and we aren't even on board. I liked the reference to fake tits...

 

Some postings can be quite amusing and the internet can cause some people to have hurt feelings, as we all know. Emails and postings CAN be misread and leave intent open to misjudgements. It's easy to feel ignored when joining an ongoing, tight knit group. It's also easy to interpret ones posting as negative. I agree that there was not much to learn from the other thread, so I just skimmed over it all.

 

To me Stone Island is the REAL Mexico. It is where the locals go to the beach on the weekends. It is not the touristy Mexico that I think some people want to experience. It makes some people feel uncomfortable to be out of a familliar environment. Although I did not go in the water, I did not find the beach to be dirty, nor pristine. I did not see any horses on this last trip, though I am sure they were there, just down the beach a bit. You walk thru a typical, authentic Mexican beach neighborhood with dirt roads, dogs and chickens. I am glad that most people do not want to go or know about it, as that's part of it's charm (and somewhat solitude).

 

There are many people who like to venture to a local resort hotel and enjoy their pools and pristine beaches. There are also those that like to venture into the old part of cities and feel a part of that too. Some like both, and isn't that one of the joys of cruising (to be able to do exactly what you want to do, including not getting off the ship if you desire)? Maybe there will be a murder mystery on our sailing :eek:;). David

[Ahhh]

I have been on cruises twice before on award night - and they have not had it available on the ship - one was an RSVP cruise.

 

I was on RSVP Zuiderdam last year when the Oscars were on and they showed it on the Main Theater's screen. It was a lot of fun seeing it in a large theater. It felt almost like being there. People dressed up and they had "paparazzi" taking pictures of everyone going into the theater and getting autographs so we all felt like celebrities. They even had a contest to see who could pick the most winners. It was a very fun evening.

[pscruzinboyz]

Hi everyone, one day closer, hope all is well. I been trying to keep up on this thread and the regular one. We have been on other cruises when there were big Sporting Events and they moved them to larger area with Big Screens. There is a good possibility they will do this for the Oscars. Have a great day tomorrow and I will be checking back tomorrow.

 

Mike

[NoNoSco]

Mike this is for you....

 

E-I-G-H-T-E-E-N DAYS and counting! I'm only good for checking-in here every so often (and that other thread gave me a headache after just a few pages ;)) so I'll post my non-sense over here amongst the mens.

 

And what's this I hear about fake tits? Is Mariner calling in Scottsdale and no one told us? I (we) haven't seen a real pair in years - I don't remember (or much care) what they look like. I mean ICK. :D

 

Take care guys and see you soon!

 

Chris & Philip, Scottsdale, Arizona

[pscruzinboyz]

17.............................Let the countdown begin, Everyone have a terrific Day! :)

 

Mike